Synopsis
Petty crook Nicholson is transferred from prison to a mental institution. Is he crazy? Hecertainly seems to be to go up against head nurse Louise Fletcher, the well-meaning tyrant of theplace. In the course of his war, he ignites the spirits of the other inmates.
Audio
The sound has been remastered into 5.1. Though the sound quality is nice (barring somedistortion due to original recording), I’m not sure the surround mix was necessary. The musicand …ome echoing sound effects benefit, but there is very little done sequences like the basketballgame, which would lend itself naturally to surround. A lot of the film is very quiet, and thedifference between stereo surround and mono isn’t always that noticeable.
Video
A very nice, sparkle-free print with only minimal grain has been used. The flesh tones areaccurate, and if the colours look a bit drab, that’s not the fault of the transfer — that’s the wayfilm is supposed to look. The picture is widescreen, and the precise ratio is not indicated, butis apparently 1.85:1 anamorphic.
Special Features
Disc 1 (whose menu has a scored main page) has a commentary as primary extra. Theparticipants are producers Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas, and director Milos Forman. Allthree appear to have been recorded separately. They cover a lot about both the history of the filmand its making. Other extras here are an awards list and filmographies for some of the cast andcrew.
Disc 2 is devoted primarily to a making-of documentary, which is a very informative 50minutes (some of the interviews were conducted a number of years ago, judging from the grainand Kirk Douglas’ pre-stroke appearance). Other than that, you’ve got four deleted scenes andthe theatrical trailer. No way did this warrant an extra disc.
Closing Thoughts
While not warranting a two-disc presentation, this is still a nice package for fans of thefilm.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary
- Making-of Documentary
- Cast and Crew Filmographies
- Awards List
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
